Crozing and stacking mechanism for hat bodies



June 30, 1942.

R. K REYI IOLDS ET AL 2,288,573 CROZING AND STACKING MECHANISM FOR HAT BODIES Original Filed Dec. 31, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTO R5 I? ALP/1 IF RE'PNOLDS BY BURL/N6 D. I VELLS ATTORNEY June, 30, 1942. I

R. K. REYNOLDS ET AL CROZING AND STAGKING MECHANISM FOR HAT BODIES Original Filed Dec. :1, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 RALPH h. REYNOLDS BURLING D H/ELLS ATTORNEY June 30, 1942. REYNQl-Ds ET 2,288,573

CROZING AND STACKING MECHANISM FOR HAT BODIES Original Filed Dec. 31, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS kw m M M 5 P. W

Patented June 30, 1942 onozmo AND SVTACKING MECHANISM FOR HAT BODIES Ralph K. Reynolds and Burling D. Wells, Danbury, Conn., assignors to The Mallory Hat Company, Danbury, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Original application December 31, 1938,-Serial No. 248,893, Divided and this application March 5, 1941, SerialNo. 381,852

' 12 Claims. (o1. 28-6) v This invention relates to the treating and handling of felt hat bodies, particularly hat bodies made of fur felt, and more particularly to an apparatus for crozing and stacking hat bodies.

This application is a division of ourapplication Serial No. 248,893, filed December 31, 1938.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a practical and dependable apparatus for delivering in a desired manner hat bodies from machines performing other operations thereon, such as felting, and capable of efficient action. Another object is to provide an apparatus of the just stated character capable of rapid, reliable and efiicient stacking of the hat bodies in flat-- tened out form. Another object is to provide a practical and efiicient apparatus for effecting dependable crozing of hat bodies. Another object is to provide a practical and dependable apparatus of the above-mentioned character capable of rapid association with known types of sizing or felting machines for coacting with the latter to increase the efficiency of the sizing or felting operation and capable also, when desired, of association with several sizing or felting machines, such as the multi-roller sizing machines, without requiring any or material reconstruction of the latter and thereby to permit coupling them together for successive operation upon the same lot or succession of hat bodies.- Another object is to provide practical and eflicient individual units of mechanism for attachment to or association with known types of sizing machines to receive the output of thelatter, perform such additional operations as crozing or stacking or both as are needed to prepare the hat bodies for the next stage of operation.

Another object is to provide a compact and eificient crozing and delivery apparatus for receiving hat bodies at the completion of one stage of sizing operation to prepare and deliver them for the next stage of sizing. Another object is to provide a compact, practical and efficient crozing apparatus that will be capable of interrelation with one or more sizing machines to prepare hat bodies for the succeeding stage of sizing operation. Another object is to provide a dependable, compact and practical apparatus for both crozing and stacking hat bodies. Other objects will be in part obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter. 1

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts as will be exemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of the mechanical features of the invention,

Figure 1 is a plan view, principally diagrammatic, showing an illustrative arrangement and apparatus interrelating two sizing machines;

Figure 2 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of a crozer and stacker mechanism employed in the illustrative arrangement of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation ofvthe apparatus of Figure 2, as seen along the line 3-3 of Figure 2; 1

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the apparatus of Figure 2, as seen along the line i4 of the latter;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic representation of the driving connections of certain of the parts of the apparatus of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic end view of the hat body showing its form as it emerges from one of the sizing machines;

Figure 4 is a similar view of a hat body showing its form at the termination of the crozing stage; and

Figure 4 is a view like that of Figure 3, with certain parts omitted, showing a modified form of certain parts of the apparatus of Figure 3.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring first to Figure 1, there are indicated diagrammatically several units of apparatus which are duplicated by way of illustration of the applicability of our crozing and stacking mechanism to several, illustratively two, sizing or felting machines, particularly Where cyclic continuity of operation of the latter is desired; the specific arrangement, for purposes of this application, is therefore to be understood as illustrative. The sizing machines, which may be of any suitable form, such as the known type of multi-roller sizing machine, are diagrammatically indicated at S and S and their details of construction need not be shown or described excepting to note that they have entry ends or feed entrances E E respectively, into or to which the hat bodies are fed by suitable feeding means, usually and preferably taking the form of driven feed rollers F F respectively, and that the two multi-roller sizing machines have discharge or exit ends X and X respectively provided with discharge or delivery rolls D D The machines S S operate upon the hat bodies to effect an interfelting of the fibers thereof and hence a shrinking of the felt in the hat body itself, the latter being usually of generally conical shape, frequently called a hat bat, and being passed into and out of the sizing machine in a flattened out condition, approximating a somewhat triangular shape or outline, as indicated at B in Figure 1. The sizing machines thus act upon the hat body in two plies or layers.

The two felting machines S S are arranged as shown in Figure 1, preferably side by side, but with their ends reversed so that the exit end X of machine S is adjacent the entry end E of machine S whose exit end S thus becomes positioned adjacent the entry end E of machine S The direction or path of travel of hat bodies in machine S is hence upwardly, as viewed in Figure 1, while the path or direction of travel of hat bodies in machine S is downwardly.

In front of the feed rollers F of machine S is a table or bench T v in front of which stands an operator. On the bench T the operator places stacked hat bodies, illustratively in two piles P, and lays the hat bodies from the piles P, P onto the feed rolls F in two rows, as indicated, but with the hat bodies in each row preferably overlapped or shingled, preferably with the tips of the bodies headed in the direction of feeding movement. The feed rolls F transport this succession of hat bodies at suitable speed into the sizing machine S wherein the felting action tightens up the felt, increases its thickness, and diminishes the dimensions of the hat bodies. thus effecting what we shall term a stage of felting or sizing. The hat bodies emerge in two similar rows from the exit end X of the machine S at the same rate at which the feeding rolls F enter the hat bodies into the machine. But in effecting this stage of sizing, the hat bodies are moved away from the station or table T In effecting a return movement, we prefer to utilize the companion machine S which is provided with a bench or table T in front of its feed rollers F and where another operator is stationed to shingle the hat bodies from preferably two piles on the table T onto the feed rolls F We therefore prefer to effect a stacking or piling up, again illustratively and preferably in two piles, of the hat bodies as they emerge from the sizing machine S and a preferred form of mechanism is the stacker unit C at the exit end of machine a similar stacker unit C being positioned at the exit end of machine S to receive and stack hat bodies from the latter for the operator at station T These stacker units are preferably identical and a detailed description of one will suffice for both.

Bearing in mind that the sizing machine operates upon the hat body in two-ply form, the hat body B emerges, still in flattened condition, as indicated in Figure 4*, having, therefore, two end creases I and I I which extend along lines which otherwise are elements of the cone-shaped body. Before subjecting the hat body to the next stage of sizing, these lines or elements I0, II should be shifted so that the next stage does not accentuate the creases and so that other detrimental actions, such as interfelting of the two plies, will not take place. In Figure 4 is shown an end view of the hat body with the creases or lines If], II thus shifted, this operation being called crozing. In our preferred form of method and apparatus, we prefer to effect this crozing operation in the stacker unit.

The stacker unit, referring now to Figures 2,

3 and 4, comprises a main frame I2 having appropriate side frames I3, I4 which provide suitable standards or bearings for several shafts or rotary members that extend crosswise of the frame. Thus, at the front or entry end of the unit is provided a pair of bearings for the shaft or trunnions I5 of a drum I6 whose axial length is commensurate with that of the delivery rolls of the sizing machine, the frame I2 being provided with suitable supports, legs or standards to support the unit at the exit end of the sizing machine and with the drum I6 alined with and in close proximity to the delivery rollers, as is better indicated in Figure 3.

About the drum extends a plurality of flexible band members, preferably in the form of rubber belts I1, and at the discharge end of the unit the belts I'I pass over pulleys or a suitably sub-divided drum rotatably supported by the trunnions or shaft I8 for which suitable bearings are provided in the side frames I3, I l. The belts I? are appropriately tensioned and the upper side or reach I'I thereof, as viewed in Figure 3, is preferably substantially in line with the upper surface portions of the delivery rollers of the sizing machine, being substantially coincident with a plane tangent to the upper faces of these rollers.

The belts I! are driven so that the upper reach Il moves to the right, as viewed in Figure 3, and this drive is preferably effected by driving the shaft I8 and hence the crowned or pulley-like drums I9, one for each belt and preferably crowned as shown in Figure 4. Suitable tensioning of each belt I1 is achieved by any suitable means, illustratively as by a flanged guide idler 20 (Figure 3), positioned adjacent the drum I6 and acting also to guide the leading side of the belt onto and hold it in its proper position about the drum I6. Each idler 20 may be mounted in a suitable L-shaped bracket 2!, and all of the brackets may be mounted to pivot on a cross-rod 22 extending between the side frames I3, I4, each bracket 2| having connected to it a spring 23 appropriately anchored andtensioned to maintain the tensioning action of the idler on the belt.

Each belt I! is provided with a companion and coacting belt 24 mounted and driven so that its lower reach 24 is pressed into contact with the upper reach I'I and moves in the same direction as the latter. An illustrative mounting and drive for the belts 24 may comprise two drums 25 and 26 positioned respectively over the drums I6 and I9. Drums 25, 25 are preferably mounted so as to be pressed downwardly toward their respective companion drums I6 and I9; for this purpose, the shaft or trunnions 2'! of drum 25 may be rotatably mounted or journaled in spaced end arms 28, 28 (Figures 3 and 2) suitably held in proper alinement and pivoted on studs 29 in the side frames I3, I4.

Drum 26 may be similarly mounted and hence has its shaft 30 rotatably supported in spaced parallel arms 3|, suitably held in proper alinement, and pivoted on studs 32 suitably supported in the side frames I3, I4. Suitable springs 33 (Figures 2 and 3) operate upon the oscillatable or pivoted mountings of the drums 25 and 26 to press them yieldingly downwardly toward their respective companion drums I6 and I9 and conveniently the springs 33 are connected at their ends to downward extensions or lever arms on the supporting arms 28 'and 3|, as is better shown in Figure 3.

Suitable means are provided to limit the extent t which the springs 33 may swing the drums 25 I 24 of the belts 24 downwardly toward their respective companion belts, and such means may comprise adjustable stop members which may take the form of threaded members or screws 34, one for each arm, threaded into and supported by suitable extensions or brackets 35 related to the side frames l3 and 14 (see also Figure 4).

The drum 25, like the drum l6, may be and preferably is a straight cylindrical drum. Drum 26, as is better shown in Figure 4, comprises a plurality of pulley-like drums, one for each drum I9, and like the latter, drums 26 are preferably crowned. The belts 24 are maintained under suitable tension, each preferably by its own flanged idler 36 (Figures 3 and 2), positioned adjacent the drum 25 to guide and hold the leading side of the belt 24 in proper position on the drum '25. Each guide idler 36 may be mounted in a suitable frame 31 mounted to oscillate or pivot on a supporting cross-rod 38 carried by the side frames I3, M, a suitable spring 39 acting upon the guide roller frame with sufficient force to maintain the belt under suitable tension.

Belts 24 are also preferably made of rubber and while the adjacent reaches I! and 24 as Viewed in Figure 3, move in the same direction and along the path of travel of the hats as they are dis charged from the sizing machine and its delivery rollers, we maintain a suitable differential of linear speed of these two reaches, as by making the upper reach 24 move slower than the lower reach If, in order that as each hat body is entered between them and moved conjointly by them in a direction toward the right, as viewed in Figure 3, the two belts respectively grip the upper and lower plies or layers of the hat body B, the one belt tending to move its hat ply or layer faster than the other, and thus effecting the crozing above-described in reference particularly to Figures 4 and 4. Thus, the creases or lines lt-H in the hat body when it enters this unit of mechanism, being like that shown in Figure 4", are shifted to positions like that indicated in Figure 4. Illustrative surface speeds of the belts may be about 365 feet per minute for belt reach I1 and about 325 feet per minute for belt reach 24 The rubber of the belt or of their active or operative surfaces is preferably relatively yieldable or soft and the rate at which the crozing action takes place, for a given tension of the springs 33, may be adjusted by correspondingly setting the adjustable stops 34, 34 that operate upon the drum 25. Thus, the gripping of the two plies by the respective belt reaches may be varied according to the extent to which the stops 34 permit movement of the drum 25 toward the drum it. The greater the gripping by the belt by the two plies of the hat body, the more rapidly is the speed differential made effective to croze.

As the hat bodies emerge in succession (see Figure 1) from the exit end of the sizing machine, illustratively in two rows, they are thus passed into this unit of mechanism and the hat bodies are successively c'rozed. This crozing action takes place principally in that region of the two reaches l'i and 24 of the two sets of belts that is nearer the drums l6 and 25.

As above indicated, the crozer and stacker unit is preferably a self-contained unit so that it may, as in the illustrative arrangement of Figure 1, be easily positioned in relation to a known type of multi-roller sizing machine; accordingly, it is preferred that its parts are driven independently of the drive of the sizing machine itself. An illustrative driving arrangement may comprise an electric motor 40 (Figures 2 and 4) suitably supported by the main frame I2 and provided with 1 suitable driving connections to effect the drive of the belts in the proper directions and at the proper speeds. Thus, there may be associated with the motor 40 a gear box 4! into which extends the shaft 42 of the motor which carries a pinion 43 (see Figure 4 The gear box rotatably supports a stud shaft 44 which is driven from motor pinion 43 by a gear 45, shaft 44 extending through the gear box and being preferably alined with the shaft I8 of the drums l9 to which it is coupled by a shaft coupling 46 (Figure 4). By this gearing drums 19 are driven at a speed appropriate for the belts I1.

Gear box 4| also has journaled in it a stud shaft 4? which carries a gear 48 meshing with the gear 45 and externally of the gear box 4| the shaft 41 (see Figure 4 carries a sprocket 49 which by a chain 50 (Figure 2) extends to a sprocket 5| on the shaft 21 of the drum 25. By this compact and simple gearing the proper directions of drive of the upper and lower belts is achieved and the differential in linear speed between the belts may be achieved by appropriate gear ratios between the gears 45 and 48 (Figure 4 or between the sprockets 4S and 5| (Figure 2) or both.

As above noted, the hat bodies, passing through the apparatus in illustratively two rows, should now be stacked in two piles. To effect such stacking, the belts above-described are preferably driven at speeds, illustratively those mentioned above, that are high as compared to the rate of movement of the hat bodies themselves into, through or out of the sizing machine itself, and this speed is sufiiciently high to cause the hat bodies to emerge from in between the belt reaches I l and 24 at the right-hand end thereof as viewed in Figure 3, with sufficient velocity to be actually cast or thrown through the air and onto a suitable receiving table or support, illustratively the support 5-2 (Figure l) for the stacker unit C or the support 53 for the stacker uni-t C onto which the hats of the two rows are cast or stacked in two piles as indicated in Figure 1.

To insure proper casting and stacking action, we prefer to cross-rib or cross-crease each hat body to give it sufficient rigidity after emergence from the belts "so that it will maintain its substantially fiat condition and land flat'wise on the preceding hat body, thus to stack the hat bodies up on the receiving support. Such cross-ribbing we preferably achieve by the coaction of the .drums 26 and IS with the rubber belts. The

latter, as shown in the drawings, are suitably spaced from each other, being arranged in vertical pairs 24 and H. Intervening the crowned pulley-like drums E9 on the shaft it are disk-like orannular flanges 54 of substantial thickness and peripherally rounded off so as not to mar or injure the hat bodies with which they are to contact. Intervening the drums or pulley-like portions 26 on the shaft 3!] are annular recesses or grooves 55 respectively juxtaposed to the flanges 54. These grooves or recesses 55 are, so far as their effective portions are concerned, accentuated or deepened by the thickness of the belts 24 to either side of the each while the radial dimension of the flanges 54 is sufiicient to cause them to enter into these accentuated grooves or recesses, somewhat as indicated in Figure 4.

Accordingly, as the hat body is rapidly brought by the belt reaches 24 and 'Il' into the region between the drums l9 and 26, longitudinal ribs are pressed into the hat body B, as indicated in Figure 4, by the coaction between the flanges 54 of the drums I9 and the groove-forming portions of the upper drum structure. A single hat body may thus have, for example, two or three such longitudinal ribs pressed into it extending in the direction of travel of the hat itself. This action takes place quickly and its extent may be varied or adjusted by adjusting the stop members 34 that limit the approach of the drums 26 toward the drums I9. Each hat body is thus stiffened sufficiently to maintain its flat condition as it is cast out from in between the two belts and laterally flung onto the receiving support.

Preferably, certain aids are provided for this last-mentioned action. These may comprise a driven drum 56 (see Figures 2 and 3) whose shaft or trunnions 51 are journaled in bearings in the side frames l3, l4, preferably at such an elevation that the upper surface of the drum 56 (see Figure 3) is somewhat higher than the line or plane of contact between the belts. The drum 56 is driven in clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 3, at a speed commensurate with the speed at which the hat bodies are cast out from in between the two belts, and drum 56 guides the hat body upwardly to give it a suitable trajectory and by its rotation prevents diminution of velocity of movement of the hat body.

The drum 56 is driven at an appropriate speed by suitable driving connections with the motor 40; these may comprise a stud shaft 58 rotatably supported with respect to the gear box and driven from the motor pinion 43 (Figure 4*) by a gear 59, shaft 58 being coupled to shaft 5! as at 66 (Figure 2).

Preferably, also, there is provided a curved guide plate 6| (Figures 2 and 3) suitably supported as by the side frames l3, l4, and preferably upwardly convex and upwardly inclined so as to insure a suitably high trajectory for the hat bodies, guide plate 6| being at a higher elevation than the receiving support 52 or 53 (Figure 1) so that a hat pile of appropriate height may be stacked. If desired and preferably a drum 6 l substantially a duplicate of the drum 56, may be used in place of the guide plate 6|, as shown in Figure 4 drum 6| is preferably at a higher elevation than drum 56 and its shaft or trunnions 6| may be journaled in the side frames I3, I4. It is driven at substantially the same speed and in the same direction as drum 56, as by the train of gears 6|. If desired, a baflleor back plate (not shown in the drawings) may be related to the receiving supports to aid in vertically lining up the hats as they are successively cast onto the pile.

The hat bodies, it might be noted, pass through the crozer and stacker at a velocity or speed that is high in comparison to the speed of movement of the hat bodies through the sizing machine; whereas a number of hat bodies are at one time being operated upon by the sizing machine, in the preferred form and due to the preferred relative speeds of the various parts, the crozer and stacker unit handles one hat body at a time.

Also, the crozing and stacking mechanism is well adapted for interrelation to or with a suitable transfer mechanism; thus, having crozed and stacked the several rows of hats emerging from the sizing machine S of Figure 1, we prefer that the receiving support 52 therefor be in the form of a conveyor or transfer mechanism and hence, and by way of illustration, we prefer to make up the receiving support 52 out of a plurality of axially alined rollers 63 of an extent sufficient to extend across the discharge end of the crozer 'and stacker unit and sufficiently toward the axis (see Figure l) of the companion sizing machine 5 to reach the end of the bench or table T where the second operator is stationed. In Figure 1 the rollers 63 are so shown.

The transfer mechanism 52 is preferably built as a separate or distinct unit or machine and where it comprises rollers, suitable means, such as sprockets 61 and a driving chain 66, may be used to effect drive of the rollers 53 in unison and in a direction to move the stacks or piles of hats in a direction toward the table or bench associated with the next adjacent felting machine. Preferably, suitable motive means and suitable controls (not shown) preferably like those described in my above-mentioned application, are employed for actuating the transfer mechanism.

When the operator at station T completes the shingling of his two stacks of hat bodies onto the feed rollers F of the second machines S the controls for the transfer mechanism adjacent the station T are actuated to effect movement of the two piles just stacked by the stacker unit C With the two stacks or piles of hats thus moved to the operators table or bench at station T the operator removes them from the transfer rollers 63 and positions them on a table and by hand lays them in shingled fashion onto the feed rollers F of the sizing machine S While the transfer of the two stacks to table T is taking place, the transfer mechanism adjacent station T is actuated to move two piles, stacked by the crozer and stacking unit 0 over to his bench or table T and he commences shingling the hats in two rows onto the feed rollers F of the sizing machine S These operations are maintained until the hat bodieshave been shrunk or brought down to the desired size or dimensions.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided in our invention an apparatus in which the various objects, together with many thoroughly practical advantages, are successfully achieved. It will be seen that the apparatus is of high eificiency, is compact and flexible in arrangement, and that increased output may be achieved without detriment to quality of product.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. An apparatus for crozing and delivering hat bodies comprising two endless belt means having rotary means for supporting them with two reaches thereof adjacent each other and means for urging at least one of said belt reaches toward the other to grip a hat body therebetween, means for driving said belt means so that their said adjacent reaches travel in the same direction and at substantial but differing velocities, thereby to effect relative movement between the two plies of a hat body received therebetween and to discharge it in flattened out condition, and means for controlling the extent of the relative movement between the two plies of the hat body as effected by a given difference in velocities of said two belt means, said controlling means comprising means operable to determine the extent to which one belt reach is urged toward the other and therebyaffect the grip of the belt reaches upon the plies of the hat body respectively engaged by them.

2. An apparatus for crozing and delivering hat bodies onto a receiving means comprising two endless belt means having rotary means for supporting them with two reaches thereof adjacent each other and means for urging at least one of said belt reaches toward the other to grip a hat body therebetween, and means for driving said belt means so that their said adjacent reaches travel in the same direction and at differing velocities, thereby to effect relative movement between the two plies of a hat body received therebetween, and said velocities, though differing, being relatively high to discharge the hat body by casting it out from in between said belt reaches in flattened out condition and onto said receiving means, and means operative prior to casting out of the hat body from said belt reaches to temporarily cross-rib the hat body to give it greater resistance to bending out of flattened out condition during its flight onto said receiving means. 3. An apparatus for crozing and delivering in flattened out condition hat bodies comprising two pairs of rotary means having thereaoout a a plurality of pairs of belts of a width less than the width of the hat body, said two pairs of rotary means being arranged so that contiguous reaches of the belts of each pair travel in proximity to each other for the reception therebetween of hat bodies, means for driving said belts to cause contiguous belt reaches to move in the same direction but at different speeds to transport the hat bodies in the said direction and by their respective grips upon the two plies of the hat body to effect, in coaction with their different speeds of movement, relative movement between said plies, thereby to croze the hat body, and means for changing the extent of said relative movement comprising means for varying the grip of the belt reaches upon their respective plies of the hat body.

4. An apparatus for crozing and delivering in flattened out condition hat bodies comprising two pairs of rotary means having thereabout a plurality of pairs of belts of a width less than the width of the hat body, said two pairs of rotary means being arranged so that contiguous reaches of the belts of each pair travel in proximity to each other for the reception therebetween of hat bodies, means for driving said belts to cause contiguous belt reaches to move in the same direction, but at different speeds, to transport the hat bodies in the said direction and to effect relative movement between the plies of each hat body to croze it, at least one of the rotary means at that end of the contiguous belt reaches where the hat body is discharged having portions of different diameters and means coacting withsaid portions to press portions of a moving hat body thereagainst for cross-ribbing the hat body to stiffen it against distortion out of its substantially flattened condition.

5. An apparatus for crozing and delivering in flattened out condition hat bodies comprising two pairs of rotary means having thereabout a plurality of pairs of belts of a width less than the width of the hat body, said two pairs of rotary means being arranged so that contiguous reaches of the belts of each pair travel in proximity to each other for the reception therebetween of hat bodies, means for driving said belts to cause contiguous belt reaches to move in the same direction, but at different speeds, to transport the hat bodies in the said direction and to effect relative movement between the plies of each hat body to croze it, the belts about one pair of said rotary means being of substantial thickness andspaced from each-other, and means adjacent that end of the contiguous belt reaches from Which a hat body is discharged for pressing a portion of the fabric-of the latter into the space between adjacent belts and thereby form a rib in the hat body to stiffen it against distortion out of its substantially flattened condition.

6. An apparatus for crozing and delivering in flattened out condition hat bodies comprising two pairs of rotary means having thereabout a plurality of pairs of belts of a width less than the width of the hat body, said two pairs of rotary means being arranged so that contiguous reaches of the belts of each pair travel in proximity to each other for the reception therebetween of hat bodies, means for driving said belts to cause contiguous belt reaches to move in the same direction, but at difierent speeds, to transport the hat bodies in thesaid direction and to efiect relative movement between the plies of each hat body to croze it, one of said rotary means adjacent that end of said contiguous belt reaches where a hat body is discharged being provided with grooves, and means for pressing a portion or portions of a hat body as it is moved in discharging direction into one or more of said grooves, thereby to form reinforcing ribs therein to resist its bending outof flattened condition.

'7. An apparatus for crozing and delivering in flattened out condition hat bodies comprising two pairs of rotary means having thereabout a plurality of pairs of bolts of a width less than the width of the hat body, said two pairs of rotary means being arranged so that contiguous reaches of the belts of each pair travel in proximity to each other for the reception therebetween of hat bodies, means for driving said belts to cause contiguous belt reaches to move in the same direction, but at different speeds, to transport the hat bodies in the said direction and to effect relative movement between the plies of each hat body to croze it, one of said rotary means adjacent that end of said contiguous belt reaches where a hat body is discharged is provided with grooves, and rotary means, one for each of said grooves and adapted substantially to enter the latter for pressing one or more portions of the hat body as it moves in discharging direction into one or more of said grooves,thereby to reinforce the hat body against bending out of its substantially flattened out condition.

8. An apparatus for crozing hat bodies and delivering them in flattened out condition for stacking comprising an upper pair of drums having thereabout endless belt means and a lower pair of drums having thereabout endless belt means, the lower belt reach of the former and the upper belt reach of the latter being contiguous for receiving a hat body therebetween, and driving means for effecting movement of said belt means so that their contiguous belt reaches travel in the same direction at relatively high but differing velocities for action upon a hat body, said belt means, at their relatively high velocities, transmitting to the hat body energy of motion to give it flight when discharged from in between the contiguous b'elt reaches and the dif- 6 ference in velocities of the latter effecting, during the relatively short time interval of engagement of a hat body with said belt reaches and by the grip of the latter on the respective plies of the hat body, relative movement between said plies to croze the hat body.

9. A hat treating apparatus having a hatreceiving support comprising a pair of drums having thereabout endless belt means and a pair of drums having thereabout endless belt means, one belt reach of the former and a belt reach of the latter being in juxtaposition for receiving and gripping a flattened hat body therebetween, driving means for efiecting movement of said belt means so that their juxtaposed belt reaches travel at relativel high linear velocities in the same direction and thereby rapidly move in the said direction a hat body to transfer to it energy of motion to cast it from the discharge ends of said juxtaposed belt reaches, said hat-receiving support being positioned in proximity to said discharge ends for receiving the hat body cast by said belt reaches, and means coacting with said belt means during movement thereby of a hat body and prior tocomplete discharge thereof therefrom to cross-rib the flattened hat body to strengthen it against distortion out of its flattened condition and thereby insure better flight of the hat body throughout its trajectory from said discharge ends onto said support.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 in which at least one of said belt means comprises a plurality of individual belts spaced from each other in the direction of the axes of the drums, said means to cross-rib the hat body comprising means to press portions of the hat body overlying the space between two individual belts inwardly of the space to produce in the hat body a rib extending in the direction of movement of the hat body.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 in which at least one of said belt means comprises a plurality of individual belts spaced from each other in the direction of the axes of the drums, said means to cross-rib the hat body comprising rotary means coacting with the drum carrying said pluralit of spaced individual belts at their discharge ends to press the portion of the hat body overlying a space between two individual belts inwardly of the space to produce in the hat body a rib extending in the direction of movement of the hat body.

12. A hat treating apparatus comprising a pair of drums having thereabout endless belt means and a pair of drums having thereabout endless belt means, with one belt reach of the former and a belt reach of the latter being in juxtaposition for receiving and gripping a flattened hat body therebetween, driving means for efiecting movement of said belt means so that their juxtaposed belt reaches travel in the same direction and thereby move in the said direction a hat body gripped therebetween, said two belt means each comprising a plurality of individual belts spaced from each other in the direction of the axes of said drums, and means for ribbing the flattened hat body to strengthen it against distortion out of its flattened condition, said ribbing means comprising companion peripheral groove means and peripheral projecting means on the drums at the discharge end of said belt means and alined in the spacing between said plurality of belts, whereby the peripheral projecting means on one drum presses the moving hat body into the companion peripheral groove means on the other drum to produce a rib in the flattened hat body extending in the direction of travel thereof.

RALPH K. REYNOLDS. BURLING D. WELLS. 

